n Xi’an, a city in the Shaanxi province of northwestern China, thousands of soldiers, perhaps more than seven thousand, stand in formation in three underground pits. They are ready to defend their emperor, whose body lies entombed nearby, from any enemy. They have remained in formation, ready for battle, for over two thousand years. The soldiers are 8 inches to 6 feet 2.5 inches tall, and are made of terra-cotta, a form of baked clay. Each soldier’s features are unique to him. Their weapons, longbows, spears, battle-axes, and halberds, which combine a spear and a battle-ax, are stored nearby. These soldiers are known as the terra-cotta warriors, and the 14,000-square-foot museum where they reside is one of China’s most-visited cultural sites. The soldiers are arrayed in formations according to their function in battle, ready to ward off attackers from any direction. Some soldiers are in kneeling positions while others « 10 »

An Army Protects the First Emperor

are standing. There are also seventy-four full-size chariots, drawn by four horses each, in which other soldiers or officers ride. There are, as well, nearly six hundred life-size Mongolian ponies. Each soldier wears a uniform whose color corresponds to his rank. The colors are purple, blue, green, yellow, red, and orange. The uniforms range from heavy knee-length tunics and cloth leg wrappings to armor made from hundreds of pieces of 1 iron shaped like fish scales. The emperor’s tomb that these soldiers have been guarding for over two thousand years took over thirty years to build and is located west of the burial chambers of the army. The tomb itself has not yet been excavated, but according to legend, it is supposed to be a replica of his empire, with rivers of quicksilver (mercury) and many marvels, including death traps for 2 any tomb robbers. « 11 »

The terra-cotta warriors who have been guarding the tomb of Emperor Shi Huangdi were discovered in 1974 by Chinese farmers who were drilling a well.

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Discover Ancient China

Shi Huangdi (Qin Shi Huang), the emperor who had this army buried to protect himself for all time, founded the first empire of China in 221 .. His conquests united the many states that had fought each other for years in China. He called himself “August Sovereign,” the name that all emperors of China used afterward. He was the founder of the Qin dynasty. Dynasties are periods of rule by members of the same family, and most of China’s long history is divided into dynasties, beginning in about 1994 .. with the Xia dynasty and lasting until .. 1911, with the end of the Qing dynasty. The political system of the three earliest dynasties, the Xia, Shang, and Zhou, was a feudal system. The dynasties that followed, beginning with the Qin, were centralized empires.

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Chapter 2

HISTORY

Discover Ancient China

C

hina is the birthplace of the world’s oldest continuous civilization, with a written history that began 3,500 years ago. Humans have lived in what is now China long before history was recorded Archaeological evidence shows that humans who made tools were living in China at least twelve thousand years ago. They lived in dwellings dug into the earth and roofed over. Pigs and dogs had been domesticated and pottery making had been learned. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties By 2205 .., China consisted of a number of small states that, according to tradition, were conquered and united by the Xia dynasty (1994 to 1523 ..). From that dynasty until .. 1911, the history of China tells of the rise and fall of dynasties. The first historical dynasty, the Shang dynasty, dates from 1523 to 1027 .. « 16 »

History

The Shang kings were powerful rulers, with great armies at their command. They could send from three thousand to five thousand soldiers into battle at a time. The soldiers in these armies used bronze weapons that included a complex bow and arrow and a halberd. The army was driven to the scene of battle by chariots and would then dismount to begin fighting. The Shang dynasty was overthrown by the Zhou dynasty, whose rule lasted from 1027 to 221 .. Under the Zhou dynasty, the government extended its control into north and south China by conquest and planned settlements. In the later period of Zhou rule, the central government’s control became less strong. This period, known as the Spring and Autumn period, saw the growth of independent states. These states paid only a small allegiance to the central government. « 17 »

Discover Ancient China

An array of reproduced weapons on the Great Wall of China. Soldiers in the armies of the Shang kings used bronze weapons.

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History

The Warring States Period

By 475 .., the independent states began fighting each other so often that the period from 475 to 221 has come to be called the Warring States period. Its end also marked the end of the Zhou dynasty. 1 Warfare was waged with the composite bow, whose arrows were made with bronze or clay points. Other weapons used during this period of warfare included bronze spears, battle-axes, and halberds. The End of War: The Qin Dynasty

In 221 .., peace was restored to the empire when China became united under the Qin dynasty and the First Emperor. During the Qin dynasty, The achievements of the Qin are numerous. During the Qin dynasty, the language and writing of China was standardized, and the vast empire was united by a vast system of roads and canals. « 19 »

Discover Ancient China

YELLOW SEA e r v i i R z g n

Y a

QIN DYNASTY

EAST CHINA SEA

The powerful Qin dynasty lasted for only fifteen years.

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History

Despite its lasting influence, the Qin dynasty ruled for only fifteen years. This dynasty ended with the murder of the First Emperor’s son in 207 .. Rebellion and civil war had broken out even before that event, however. From these warring groups emerged a farmer who lost every battle but his last one. Liu Pang, also known as Han Gaozu, the first commoner to rule China, became the first emperor to rule over the 2 Han dynasty. The Han Dynasty The Han dynasty continued the rule of China under a powerful central government. The empire was divided into fourteen commanderies and ten kingdoms ruled by the emperor’s sons or nobles he appointed. The powerful bureaucracy that had been set up by the Qin dynasty was expanded to reinforce the control of the central government. « 21 »

Discover Ancient China

A gourd-shaped drinking vessel from the Zhou dynasty.

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History

It was during this period that government inspectors were sent to all regions of the empire. They reported back to the central office in the capital on the conditions and the administration in each of the inspector’s districts. The inspectors communicated with the capital via a postal system, which was set up along the main highways that linked the empire. The money to run the government came from taxes. A land tax and a head tax were imposed on the people. State income also came from taxes paid on silk and revenues that came from governmentowned industries such as salt and iron. The Han dynasty continued its rule from 206 .. until .. 220, except for a fifteen-year period from .. 8 to .. 23. During those years, Wang Mang’s Xin dynasty ruled China. But the Xin dynasty was did not last for long. After which the Han dynasty was successfully restored. « 23 »